CORVALLIS — Some roles are set for Oregon State as it prepares to open the 2026 season and a few others are still to be determined ahead of Friday’s opener.
One thing for certain: All-American Dax Whitney will be the Opening Day starter for the No. 12 Beavers against Michigan.
“I know that,” Oregon State coach Mitch Canham said. “I’ve been thinking about it for a while.”
RELATED: Oregon, Oregon State baseball to play game in Hillsboro
Similarly, preseason All-American Ethan Kleinschmidt will toe the rubber on Saturday against Arizona.
After that is where things are less certain. Many of the biggest bats from last year’s Men’s College World Series team need to be replaced, as well as multiple starting roles in the lineup.
As of Tuesday morning, OSU had not settled on a definitive third and fourth starters against Stanford and Michigan, respectively, Canham said.
RELATED: Oregon State’s Eric Segura says seeing both worlds helped him become a better pitcher
Eric Segura and Wyatt Queen are OSU’s next most experienced returning pitchers, with junior college transfers Connor Mendez and Noah Scott and freshman Trey Morris also vying for starting roles.
“The beauty is we like the depth of our bullpen,” Canham said. “It might be everybody gets a little touch out there on Monday.”
Offensively, first baseman Jacob Krieg, second baseman AJ Singer and right fielder Easton Talt return to a lineup that lost four of its top five home run hitters, who were also Nos. 1-4 in RBIs for the Beavers last season.
It could lead to greater variance in OSU’s lineup compared to last season, where most of the positions had near everyday players and only DH saw a wide variety of starters.
“I could see all different types of ways going this year,” Canham said. “We may early on lean towards a little more experience, but I think some of those other guys are going to emerge and the lineup may shift a little bit.”
Michigan transfer Tyler Inge figures to be the favorite to take over at shortstop, with Paul Vazquez and Cooper Vance among those working at third.
RELATED: How Oregon State is rebuilding its infield after losing two starters in the offseason
Arkansas Pine-Bluff transfer Eli Gries-Smith brings speed to the base paths as well as the outfield, where he’s been working in center and left. Sophomore Adam Haight could be the third outfielder.
Texas A&M transfer Jacob Galloway is by far the most experienced catcher on the roster, though Bryce Hubbard is also a senior and Ryan VandenBrink has the most power of the group.
It’s possible, if not likely, that whoever doesn’t start behind the plate could DH and the third could come in if the starter is replaced in-game for a pinch runner.
With the batting order also set to see significant changes from last season, matchups will dictate a lot early on, Canham said.
Even if the Beavers have less power than 2025, they believe their depth of hitters with high on-base percentages and contact skills is significant.
“We’re going to be really, really good at doing the small things and doing the big things when it’s needed,” Singer said. “There’s not a guy 1 through 9 that’s not going to have a competitive at-bat.”
